


Christmas Surprise

by Roilena



Series: Surprise Series [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:13:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21928000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Roilena/pseuds/Roilena
Summary: Severus thinks he has ruined his relationship with Hermione. That is until an envelope comes flying through his floo on Christmas Eve. Will he do as the message says?
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Severus Snape
Series: Surprise Series [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1647598
Comments: 29
Kudos: 128
Collections: HPFC: Holiday Fic Fest 2019





	Christmas Surprise

**Author's Note:**

> Please enjoy this little story I cooked up and don't forget to leave a review!

**Part 1**

Snow fell silently outside of the bay window, high up in the Headmaster’s tower. ‘It was going to be a white Christmas after all’, thought Severus as he sat before the roaring fire and sipped at his whiskey. It was December 24th and he tried to concentrate on the book in his lap but it was impossible. His mind kept going over what he was missing.

It wasn’t the Christmas tree or the stockings hung on the mantle. It wasn’t the noise and press of bodies during the holiday celebrations. The Gods knew that he despised overly cheerful people. No matter how earnest they were, it just came off as disingenuous.

No, what he was missing was a person, just one. A five-foot-five spitfire with uncontrollable hair and snapping amber eyes. Hermione had come back into his life like a cyclone. Blowing in and turning his ordered life into chaos. 

When she’d first started on as Minerva’s apprentice, he’d tolerated her, thinking she would be like she was as a student. Always the know-it-all spouting what she’d read from a book as if it was the end-all, be-all and he’d called her out on it after one staff meeting. Boy, was he surprised when she let loose and proved him wrong if he later only admitted it grudgingly. It had been the beginning of a rather tumultuous working relationship. As time went on, their arguments became passionate debates and he began to see Hermione in another light. It soon got to the point that he would start an argument just to see her eyes spark and her cheeks flush.

He then started to wonder how else he could elicit such a response from her. He pictured walking up to her and rumbling in her ear or walking passed her and just ever so lightly touching her. It was one such day that they were in the teacher’s lounge talking. He was trying to make a point and when he looked up the sight had arrested him. Hermione had been sitting in front of him raptly, her eyes shining and her lower lip caught between her teeth as she listened to him. It was then he knew he was lost. 

Her lips had escaped the capture of her teeth and looked so plump and red, like a ripe berry that he stopped speaking and just stared. His own teeth seemed to ache for want of nibbling on those full pouting lips. He must have been sitting there staring, he really didn’t know how long because he then felt her hand on his and all the blood that was in his head rushed to his groin. He felt embarrassed and quickly stood up before gathering his robes about him. He mumbled his apologies and rushed out of the lounge back to his quarters and an ice-cold shower.

After that, he tried to build his walls back up, but it was no use. She’d ensnared him and he was happy about it, which was really saying something. The only problem was that he had no idea how to make his feelings known. Sure he’d had lovers before, but they’d all been pretty casual. And he didn’t want casual with Hermione. He felt that he had finally found the  _ one _ , in her, she just didn’t know it.

It had all finally come to a head when they had been debating on the use of transfigured cauldrons on the potency of potions. She had rushed out of the teacher’s lounge and straight to the library to prove her point. Severus had been fighting with himself all through the debate, wanting to grab her up and just devour her lips with his. His body urging him to lay his claim on her and he was just about to do it when she sped off.

He must have sat there thinking about going after her for a while because as he got to the corridor leading to the library, he saw Hermione coming back out with a teetering tower of books. And he saw the opportunity to do something, he didn’t know what right at that moment. But it felt that he had taken a sip of Felix  Felicis and it was urging him to seize this moment. He stepped into the niche and as soon as she was about to pass, he grabbed her and proceeded to kiss the daylights out of her. He hadn’t looked back since. 

Then there had been the first year he took up the mantle of Headmaster again. He’d been so busy that he’d forgotten to make arrangements for Hermione’s twenty-fifth birthday. So he’d floo’d Ginny Potter nee Weasley needing to know if Hermione had said anything about plans to celebrate. She’d then told him about the blind massage that couples could take part in. She told him that she hadn’t told Hermione that it was for couples only. Only that she’d never been so relaxed in her life and then gave him the address to the massage parlor.

He floo’d the massage parlor and made the arrangements. It had been one of the most fulfilling sexual encounters he’d ever had. Just watching Hermione’s response as he touched her. And she not knowing that it was him. He still remembered fondly making her come apart several times and even now he felt a stirring in his trousers and it just made his loneliness that much sharper.

Remembering only seemed to make him realize that he’d fucked up royally. They’d been together for almost ten years now, and while she kept saying she didn’t need a ring to know that she was his. She still seemed to catch flack from the Wizarding populace in general. Edwardian morals still ruled the day and a woman in a committed relationship without the benefit of a ring was still looked at as a loose woman.

He would often catch her looking at the wedding robes in Madam Malkins and Twilfit and Tattings with such longing that he felt as if a fist had punched him in the solar plexus. When asked she would smile at him and say it wasn’t important. He let it drop only to see her longing look once again. It wasn’t as if he were ashamed of their relationship. In fact, when they were out in public he felt a tremendous amount of pride in being able to call Hermione, his. And he supposed that is where everything began to go wrong. For even though she was his, and he hers, the outside world needed tangible proof. Even if it came in the form of a thin sheet of parchment.

It wasn’t until the annual War Remembrance Gala that it really hit him that she could find someone else that would give her that tangible proof of her love for them. It had been after dinner and the tables moved back to open the dance floor. Severus had parked himself at the bar, he didn’t feel much like socializing when the sound of joyous laughter had reached his ears.

He turned and found Hermione in the arms of Charlie Weasley as he led her in a rousing foxtrot. His dress robes had been cut to emphasize his muscular build and his long dark auburn hair tied back in a queue. He was spinning Hermione around and lifting her high in the air causing her to shriek with laughter. 

Severus had felt that fist in his gut again as he watched his witch in the arms of a younger and much more handsome man. Jealousy began to burn and he had to fight not to march over to them and make a scene. When she had returned to his side after the dance, he’d been cold to her. He couldn’t tell her that he felt insecure in his standing with her.

At first, she’d been puzzled, but then he let his jealousy have a voice, telling her to go back to her new paramour and to leave him be. She gasped and he could still picture the tears beginning to well in her eyes before they hardened and she turned her back on him. But instead of going back to Weasley, she’d gathered her dignity around herself and just left. He continued to sit at the bar and wallow. He ended up drinking enough to feel and regret it in the morning. 

Once he’d woken up, he remembered what he’d said and rushing from his quarters to hers, only to find that she was gone, her rooms empty. He knew she was likely either at the Burrow or the Potter’s, but felt he had no right to force her back to him. That had been last June and the first year that she hadn’t stayed at the school during the summer months with him. His bed had grown cold and lonely. There had been several times that he wanted to go and physically bring her back to him where she belonged. 

As the summer moved on he tried to convince himself he was better without her. More often than not he would wake the next day hungover and vowing to never drink again. But then his insecurities would rear up again and Ogden became his best friend. It was usually on nights that he didn’t remember that he would find little scraps with sappy words written on them and he would hide them away in his desk to read over and over again. 

When she finally returned to the school for the new term, she made overtures to salvage their relationship, by trying to talk to him during meals and even coming up with excuses to see him in the Headmaster’s office. And as always, he let his insecurities run rampant and rebuff her overtures. He knew he was breaking her heart every time he turned her away, but he truly began to believe that she deserved much better. She never gave up though, she would touch him ever so casually, and how he longed to take her into his arms, the ache in his chest a constant reminder.

He finally knew he took it too far when right before Halloween she and a few of the other teaching staff had gone to Hogsmeade and she saw him sitting in a corner booth with another woman plastered to his side. The normally noisy pub had grown deathly quiet when she saw him there. He didn’t do anything, he just continued to sit and nurse his drink while the woman talked his ear off. He knew that he was being an arsehole, he knew that this could very well tear the love of his life away from him. He half expected her to throw a fit, at least that is what he had seen in similar situations. But Hermione hadn’t screamed or tried to throw things at him. He just watched out of the corner of his eyes as she took a deep breath and squaring her shoulders, made her excuses and walked out of the pub.

Weeks turned into months and now he found himself alone during the Christmas holidays. Only he and the new caretaker Edward Filch, a cousin of Argus was still at the school. All of the students once had somewhere else to be and the staff and taken the opportunity to visit friends and family as well. Severus assumed that Hermione would be staying with either the Potters or at the Burrow. He’d hoped that she would have stayed, even though he hasn’t given any reason to want to stay.

His eyes then cut over to the mantlepiece and an innocent-looking black velvet box just sitting there, he’d bought what was in it on a whim one day in Diagon Alley. He’d seen it in the shop window and just knew that he had to have it. Of course, that was before the Remembrance Gala and his epic fuck up before Halloween. The box was sitting next to a picture of him and Hermione in the teacher’s lounge just talking. He watched the picture Hermione gesture wildly and he said something, she paused and then smiled blindingly. He hadn’t even known that the picture had been taken until it had arrived framed and wrapped in a ribboned box. He still didn’t know who had taken the picture, he suspected Minerva but couldn’t prove it, but was glad of it nonetheless.

He stood up, picked up the ring box and opened it. Inside was a platinum diamond and emerald ring. The diamond was round and had the look of a rose, the emeralds branched out from both sides of the diamond-like leaves, two more diamonds were nestled within the leaves on each side. Inscribed on the band were the words, “Your love blooms in my heart, as mine does in yours.” and he felt a sting in his eyes that he had spurned her love. All due to his insecurity and jealousy over one dance. He remembered that he had every intention of proposing to Hermione the night of the gala and felt his heart clench once again in his chest. 

Just then the fire flared green and an envelope sailed through the floo. Severus quickly closed the ring box and drew his wand, before he turned to see a note resting innocently on his hearthrug.

He scanned it with a spell, for even though the war was long over, he was still cautious. It was a plain envelope, no distinguishing marks to tell him who the sender was. He stooped to pick it up when it suddenly shuddered and a mouth formed out of the sealing wax and began to speak.

“Hello Severus, I knew that it would be impossible to try and pull the wool over your eyes as you did me on my birthday last year. So, I’m embracing my brazen inner Gryffindor and I have a game that I want to play with you. It’s up to you if you want to participate. At the end of the game, I’ll be waiting for you, if you don’t show up I’ll know that what we had is no longer salvageable. Here is your first clue, in the place where you used to teach, you’ll find ivy and holly and you must create the  _ amor vivi potion _ . But the hunt will not be so simple. You must brew the potion and bring it with you. Once the potion is brewed your next clue will appear.”

Once the message had been relayed the envelope disintegrated before his eyes. Severus felt hope bubble up in his stomach. He looked down at the box still in his hand and with resolute expression, stuffed it into the pocket of his robes before leaving the Headmaster’s chambers and going down into the dungeons to his old classroom. He had a potion to brew. 

  
**Part 2**

Steam rose slowly from the bubbling cauldron that Severus was laboring over. The Amour Livi potion was pretty simple, in and of itself. It wasn’t like traditional love potions that would trick the imbiber into feeling something that wasn’t there. No, this potion just enhanced the affection of the two people that drank it. What made the potion tricky was that it had to be consumed from a “loving cup” and true loving cups were rare.

The process to make a loving cup had been lost to time and only the oldest of pure-blood families still had one in their vaults. Though most just thought they were ordinary cup or chalices. Severus being the last of the Prince family had inherited the contents of the family Gringotts vault and he had some happened to come across a loving cup. 

To see it, most would say it was plain. It was carved out of rose quartz and gold inlay, no ornate embellishment, just a simple chalice. Inside the bowl of the cup were engraved Celtic symbols and on the rim a spot that was worn more than the rest. To be a true loving cup, the couple must drink from the same spot. It was used during weddings to symbolize the union of the bride and groom. How Severus had known it was a loving cup was that when he had touched it, his head had been filled with images of Hermione and the corresponding feelings that went with them.

When he’d found the cup, he’d taken it and placed it in a hidden niche within his quarters. Hoping to one day use it in his binding to Hermione. It seemed fortuitous that Hermione would task him with brewing this particular potion, even though she had no idea he actually had a loving cup.

He gave the potion one final stir and it changed color from teal blue to a pearlescent pink. Not his favorite color, but it was meant to represent innocent love until poured into the cup and then it would change to a deeper color to represent the depth of feelings between the drinkers.

Just then with a  _ fwomp _ sound, an envelope appeared on the workbench. Again he reached for it and it leaped away from his hand before it began to speak in Hermione’s voice. “Your next clue is here: ‘I grow deep in the snow in the shadows, however, to reach me you have to overcome obstacles to find me.’ You must bring this item with you along with the potion. Once you have obtained it your next clue will appear.” The envelope then disintegrated like the first one.

For a moment Severus was flummoxed. What could possibly grow in the dead of winter hidden within deep snow and shadow? Severus went through his encyclopedic knowledge of plants and herbs. Suddenly his eyes lit up, of course, Snowdrop flowers grew in deep snow and shadow. And he remembered coming across a patch of such flowers deep within the forbidden forest. There would be some obstacles he would need to overcome in order to get the delicate flowers. 

Magical snowdrop flowers were a favorite treat for unicorns and when they were found, a herd would guard the location with blood-thirsty diligence. He just hoped that the patch he knew of didn’t have any unicorns nearby. Another thing that made the flowers difficult to obtain was that they couldn’t be harvested by magical means, but by hand and with a purified silver trowel. They then must be placed within a runecloth bag and sealed with a gold tie. 

It was a good thing he liked to gather his own potions ingredients, as he just happened to have just such a bag. Runecloth was tricky to make as it required the runes to be woven into the fabric and then to be imbued with the invoked runes once the bag was assembled. And if someone were careless when making the bag, such as cutting the fabric wrong or even sewing across one of the woven runes could destroy the bag and often times the maker due to magical backlash. It was a highly delicate art. 

Severus then reached for the loving cup sitting on the workbench near the finished cauldron. Hermione’s notes had said to bring the potion with him so he ladled the potion into the cup and then traced a stasis spell long the rim to keep the contents from spilling and degrading. He then went to his potions store and gathered his silver trowel and runecloth bag. He placed them in the pocket of his robes and turned to make his way out to the forest.

The trek out to the forest was uneventful, though he did have to clear a path in the deep snow. But once he reached the treeline it was easier to navigate as the dense forest stopped most of the snow from reaching the ground. He walked for about a mile into the forest to a clearing he remembered once finding snowdrops. As he approached he slowed and looked around cautiously. Not seeing any unicorns, he breathed a sigh of relief and made his way to the center of the clearing. He couldn’t see any sign of the flower as the snow was deeper here without the cover of trees.

He knelt in the snow and delicately, he began to dig into the snow and soon saw the drooping head of the snowdrop flower. Digging around the flower, clearing as much snow as he could without damaging it took some time. He then took out his runecloth bag and silver trowel. He was just about to break ground around the blossom when he heard the crunch of footfalls behind him.

Severus froze as he felt warm breath on his neck. Slowly, he put his trowel down and looked over his shoulder. There leaning over him was a young Unicorn filly, how he knew she was a filly, he wasn’t sure, he just did. Her silver coat shone blue in the moonlight and he couldn’t help but stare into her liquid eyes. They were unusual, from what he knew of unicorns; their eyes were black with an inner light, like a candle flame. But this unicorn’s eyes were amber and gold, with impossibly long lashes that seemed to speak to him. Severus continued to stare in awe, for she was in short, breathtaking.

He then remembered he had a task to complete, but now wasn’t sure how he would be able to accomplish it. The last thing he wanted was to be impaled on the wickedly sharp horn of the magnificent creature before him. Severus then stiffened, even more, when the filly leaned even closer to him and sniffed at his face and hair.

She wickered softly and began to nuzzle and lip at his hair. Severus had a distinct impression that the filly was having fun rearranging his normally lank locks into what he was sure would be an avant-garde sculpture of some sort. Severus waited patiently until she was done. He didn’t dare try to touch the result, as he was still unsure how to proceed.

The filly stepped further back and looked at Severus with a critical eye. She then began to prance and shake her head neighing in equine laughter. Severus knew it was laughter as he could feel the filly’s amusement washing over him. She then pranced around him and looked down at the delicate snowdrop flower he had painstakingly uncovered and promptly chomped down on it, eating it whole.

Severus had to quickly suppress a cry of dismay, for he was now sure the unicorn would eat any other bloom he tried to uncover. In desperation, he thought to try and reason with her. “Please, just allow me to harvest one bloom. I need to prove myself to someone I care for deeply. She set me this task and I cannot fail.”

The unicorn filly stopped prancing around him at his words. She came to stand in front of him and looked down upon him consideringly. Severus felt as if she were measuring and judging his words, but couldn’t tell what her decision was. That is until she seemed to nod once and then walked over to the deepest snowdrift in the clearing. Her horn began to glow softly and the snow melted away leaving a large area unfrozen. She had revealed dozens of snowdrop blooms and she looked at each one as if trying to determine some hidden characteristic hidden within the bloom.

She finally made her choice and touched her horn to what Severus thought was the smallest and bedraggled flower in the whole lot. Severus felt apprehension that she would leave him with such a poor example to present to Hermione. Then his eyes widened as the unicorn’s horn once again glowed and as it touched the drooping bedraggled flower it began to grow and change. It grew and grew, the drooping blooms moved with the magic and increased in size until the entire bloom was at least ten times the size it started out as. But what really struck Severus was that the flower was no longer snow-white, but shone like liquid silver. The green stem sparkled like emeralds and it released the most heavenly scent Severus had ever smelled. It reminded him of Hermione just after a bath, all warm skin, lavender, and hibiscus oil.

The unicorn then walked back over to the awe-struck Severus and nudged him forward. He looked up at her and she threw her head back as if nodding. Hastily Severus reached for his trowel and began to dig around the changed snowdrop flower. He then reached for his runecloth bag and saw much to his chagrin, that it was much too small for the now much larger flower.

The unicorn filly, seeing his dilemma touched her horn once again to the bloom and it shrunk to fit into the bag. She then sent him a series of pictures to let him know that once he transplanted the flower would re-enlarge and will continue to bloom as long as it was cared for. Severus was then reminded of a quote his mother used to say while tending the small kitchen garden in the back of Spinner’s End.  _ “Even to smallest and weakest blooms will flourish with a little love and attention. It is when they are forsaken that they wither and die.” _ And Severus knew that it wasn’t just flowers that withered without attention and care.

Once the gold tie had sealed the precious flower within the runecloth bag the unicorn filly tossed her head again and promptly turned to disappear back into the forest. Severus carefully stowed his silver trowel and the flower within his robes. He stood and looked in the direction that the filly had vanished and whispered, “thank you.”

**Part 3**

Severus had just reached the edge of the forbidden forest when another envelope popped into existence in front of him. He didn’t bother reaching for it this time. It floated there for a few seconds and then the mouth once again formed out of the sealing wax. He never thought to see an envelope smile, but that is just what the message was doing before it began to speak. 

“Your final clue is here: An hour, you have to complete this final task. It’s a simple but significant chore. Go to the spot where our lips first met, retrieve the package there, return to your chambers and don the clothing you find. Once attired find the door that wanders and wish three times upon the portal to open. If at the strike of midnight, you don’t appear I’ll know that what we had is gone,” the envelope disintegrated just like all the others. 

Severus felt his stomach drop as he heard the bells in the clock tower begin to toll eleven-o’clock. He had just an hour to get to the niche he first kissed Hermione and then back to his chamber to change. He knew that the ‘door the wanders’ was the Room of Requirement. He just hoped that the stairs would cooperate with him. He hurried into the school and the grand staircase to the first floor. He glided as fast as he could to the hidden niche outside of the library. 

Lighting his wand he scanned the floor of the niche and found a bundle wrapped in brown paper. Gathering it up he promptly turned on his heel and began to make his way up the stairs to the Headmaster’s tower. He was halfway to the third floor when the clock tower chimed half passed the hour and Severus remembered that  _ he _ was the Headmaster, he could apparate within the school.

“Dunderhead,” he muttered to himself as he quickly spun in place and apparated to his study just off of the Headmaster’s office. He walked into his bedroom and on the pillow was another note. Picking it up, he read, “open the parcel and wear the clothing you find within. Hurry, you only have fifteen minutes left…” The note, like all the others, fell to dust after reading.

Severus cursed, the note was correct even with apparating time still marched on. He knew he didn’t have time for a shower but cast a cleaning spell over himself hoping that it would do.

Opening the parcel he laid out black tuxedo trousers, a fine acromantula silk shirt a silk brocade vest with silver embroidery and finally a high colored velvet jacket and silver cravat. He looked in awe at the fine detail of the garments and just knew that Hermione had picked them out for him. She had always tried to get him to wear other colors. She had managed to get him to wear navy and forest green, but his wardrobe still mostly contained black.

Donning the clothing he looked in his wardrobe mirror and felt like he could actually call himself handsome. But there was something not quite right. He quickly conjured a black silk cord and tied his hair back. There, now he was ready.

He looked at his bedside clock and it read five minutes to midnight. Not wanting to ruin the care he’d taken in dressing though it had been quick, he thought of the corridor outside of the Room of requirement, spun in place and disappeared with a pop.

He reappeared in front of a blank wall, across from which the tapestry of the ballet dancing trolls still hung. He paced in front of the wall thinking he needed to get to Hermione. On his third pass, the door formed and he walked in just as the clock began to toll the hour.

Once inside the door shut behind him leaving him in the dark. He was about to cast Lumos when candlelight began to glow at the far end of the room. He began to walk toward, still holding his wand as he didn’t know what to expect.

As he approached he found himself standing by an altar. Handfasting cords were laid upon it, the colors of which were black, grey, green, red and light blue. He now knew why Hermione’d had him brew the Amour Vivi potion and obtain a snowdrop flower. 

He remembered when Hermione had told him of the meaning of the snowdrop and why it was her favorite flower. They had just finished brewing a potion and she was putting the leftover ingredients away. She reached for a jar of dried snowdrops and said off-handly, “These are my favorite flowers, they have such profound meaning.”

He had just raised his eyebrow inquiringly and she continued, “The  fragile Snowdrop flower is a symbol of rebirth and overcoming obstacles in life. This gentle flower stands out in nature as a reminder that we can all make great things in life only if we set our minds to it. There is nothing that can stop us or make us fall down if we truly believe in our goals. That is the only success is going to come to us and we can make a difference.

“It’s also  a symbol of sympathy and caring for someone. When giving the snowdrop is a perfect way to say to someone that you care and that there is always someone this person can look up to for consolation and support,” she looked at him and smiled before continuing.

“Innocence and purity are also linked to the white Snowdrop, mainly because of its color. It symbolizes being yourself and staying true to your nature. No matter how small or meaningless you might seem to others, that shouldn’t be your limit in life. Each one of us can show compassion and love, especially to those who we love.

“And lastly, the Snowdrop flower is a symbol of hope and fighting for your future. This small flower reminds us and the people we gift it to, that there is always hope and light at the end of the tunnel. You should never give up on your dreams because only those who don’t give up on hope can make a difference in life,” he even remembered that her eyes had teared up a bit after telling him this and he had felt that she wasn’t just regurgitating book knowledge, that she truly believed everything the snowdrop stood for. 

Suddenly, a voice spoke from the darkness. “I’m glad to see you made it on time Severus, I had begun to worry as the deadline grew closer,” the light then expanded and the air in Severus’ lungs froze as he laid eyes on Hermione for the first time in days. She looked like an angel. She had on a gown so beautiful that words seemed to fail. 

It was a slim cut strap-less gown with a train, but what really made the dress stand out was that it was covered in silver filigree lace and embroidery. The soft candlelight hit the silver of her gown and she just glowed. Severus felt his heart skip a beat and he longed to gather into his arms, never to let go again.

“Did you bring the flower and potion?” Hermione asked and then laughed to herself, “of course you did, otherwise you wouldn’t be here, now would you?”

“Hermione, what is all this?” Severus asked.

“I should think it would be obvious, I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you. I know that you were feeling undeserving of me and you let your words cut deep in order to drive me away,” Severus interrupted her.

“Hermione, you can do so much better than me. What about Charlie Weasley? He can give you adventure and he’s not an old bitter recluse of a man. He would give you children, love and light. All I can give is misery and heartache.”

“You’re right Severus, Charlie could give me all those things. But I think his husband Raoul would have something to say about that. As for you only giving me misery and heartache, were the last ten years so terrible that you can’t think of a single thing that brought you, me… Us, joy?” Hermione asked and Severus knew that she had him at a standstill.

She approached him, grasping his hands in hers and moved them so they were cupping her cheeks. “I’ll say it again, Severus. I love you, and I’ll keep saying it until you believe me.”

“But what about children? Don’t you want some of your own?” Severus asked.

“Well yes, that would be lovely, but I would want no other children than the ones that you could make with me. And if it isn’t in the cards for us to have children, I would still have you and I’d never wish for anything different,” Hermione said and stood up on tiptoe and kissed him.

“‘Mione, you’re supposed to wait until after you’re married to kiss him. You always have to do things your own way, don’t you?” An amused voice said from the shadows.

Severus looked up from Hermione and saw that the room was now brightly lit and they were surrounded by their friends and colleagues. He saw Minerva press a tartan handkerchief to her tearful eyes. He saw all of the Weasley’s and the Malfoy’s. Lucius and Narcissa were smiling a little stiffly as they were outnumbered by Gryffindor’s. He saw Draco and Astoria smile and nod their heads as the aristocracy was taught to do from birth. 

A throat cleared as Severus and Hermione turned back toward the altar. Kingsley stood there in his minister robes holding the book of bindings ready to perform the ceremony.

Severus stiffened and dropped Hermione’s hands. He stepped away from her and shook his head muttering, “This isn’t right, it shouldn’t be like this.”

“Sev-Severus? What’s wrong?” Hermione asked and tentatively laid her hand on his shoulder.

He spun about to face her and again shook his head, “This isn’t right. It shouldn’t be like this…”

A gasp was heard throughout the room and he saw Hermione’s eyes fill with tears. He realized that she was taking what he said completely wrong and must correct it quickly. He grasped her hands in his, raising them to his lips he kissed her hands and said, “This isn’t the way this should be. You, my love, shouldn’t be asking  _ me _ to marry you…  _ I _ should be the one asking,” he then dropped down on a bended knee, fumbled in his jacket pocket and withdrew the black velvet box.

He drew in a deep breath, “Hermione Jean Granger, you’re the bossiest, most fearless, take charge know-it-all I’ve ever come across. You took a broken dark wizard and brought light back into his...My world. You’re fierce and loyal, and you knew when to let me alone. I thought that I had ruined any chance of us being together permanently,” he paused to swallow before continuing. “I bought this ring weeks before the Remembrance Gala, having every intention of proposing to you that night. But I let my insecurities get the better of me and I watched you walk away. Not knowing if I had just thrown away the best thing I’ve ever had in my life.”

Hermione opened her mouth as if to say something, but Severus placed a gentle finger on her lips to silence her.

“I need to say everything before we continue. When I walked in and saw the handfasting cords on the altar, it struck me why you had me brew the potion you did and bring you the snowdrop flower. And if I’m not mistaken, you’ve been keeping the secret of your animagus form from me, haven’t you filly?” Severus raised a single eyebrow and Hermoine felt her cheeks flush with color. He knew she was the unicorn that came upon him while he was trying to gather the snowdrop flower.

Severus refocused on what he was saying, “Hermione, I love you and want to spend the rest of eternity proving it to you. Will you accept this ring as just a small token of my undying affection?” he opened the box revealing the diamond and emerald ring.

Hermione gasped at the simple beauty of the ring and nodding held out a trembling hand for him to place the ring on her finger. But Severus didn’t do it, his face morphed into a chiding expression and he said, “Uh-huh, Miss Granger… Please use your words.”

“Y-yes, Severus. I accept your ring, I would love to marry you.”

Severus smiled and plucked the ring from its box, slipped it onto Hermione ring finger. It magically resized itself and Severus then took her hand, raised it to his lips and kissed the ring before turning to address their audience, “It seems that this just might be the shortest engagement on record. Because I’m not leaving this room until I can say that this woman is my wife. Kingsley? Would you do the honors?”

“Yes, my friend. Glad too. Please approach the altar and we will begin.”

What followed was a short but beautiful ceremony. Severus’ and Hermione’s hands were bound in the chosen cords. And while still being bound they helped the other drink the Amour Vivi potion from the loving cup. It was a true match foe as soon as the potion touched their lips a golden glow began to surround them. It steadily grew brighter until at the end of the ceremony they kissed and everyone was blinded briefly by the burst of magic.

Once everyone stopped seeing spots they got down to some serious partying. Food and drink appeared on tables that hadn’t been there before and music began to play. Severus then heard the same song that Charlie Weasley had danced with Hermione to. He pulled her out onto the improvised dance floor and lead her in the dance. He spun them around until Hermione was laughing giddily. He then brought her in close to his body and murmured against her lips, “So, my wife, now that I have completed your hunt, am I to expect other such Christmas surprises in the future and what will you forfeit?”

Hermione breathily said, “Yes, and anything you desire, husband.”

“Oh, wife. You’ll find I have a vast imagination. You just might find yourself too busy to cook up any more surprises.”

Hermione grinned up at him cheekily before saying, “Why don’t we see if we can find the limit to your imagination? Once everyone leaves we’ll practically have the entire school to ourselves. At least until after New Year.

Severus drew her close for another kiss and then growled into her ear, “Meet me in the Great Hall in thirty minutes. Don’t be late, or I might just have to punish you.” he then led her to the edge of the dance floor and melted into the crowd.

Hermione felt a shiver run down her spine at his parting words. Oh, there was bound to be a great many Christmas surprises yet to come. She couldn’t wait.


End file.
